Improvement in machines for washing coal



J. P. EVANS.

Ore Washer.

Patented Sept. 2], 1858.

AM. PHOTO-LlTHO-CD.N.Y. (OSEORNES P ROCESSJ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH P. EVANS, OF llAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR WASHING COAL.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 21,559, dated September 21, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPH PRIESTLY EVANS, of the 'borough' of I-lazleton, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Machine for ashing Coal; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a front view of the machine and a section through one of the chambers or chutes over the corrugated bottoms of which the coal passes to be washed. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of same at the line 1 1 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is atop view of one of the corrugated bottoms of the chambers or chutes through which the coal passes in the act of being washed.

Similar letters in the figures refer to corresponding parts.

The nature of this invention and improvement consists in washing and separating the dirt, slate, and other extraneous substances from coal by causin git to be subjected to the action of jets of water while slowly descending over an inclined corrugated surface upon which its movement is regulated by adjusted weighted tappets, and at the lower end of which are formed openings and slits for the escape of the refuse stuff and slate, and subsequently passing it over another surface in continuation of the corrugated one in which is formed. a slot transverse to the course of the descending coal to allow the separation and discharge of any dirt or other foreign matter from the coal that may have passed the opening and slits above.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the construction and operation of the same.

The cylindrical sieve A, into one end of which the coal to be cleansed. is first introduced, is formed of a series of metallic skeleton heads secured on an inclined shaft turning in boxes secured to the frame B, which frame may be formed of any suitable size, strength, and material to contain and support the several parts of the machine. The sieve portions of the periphery of the cylinder between the skeleton heads are formed of sievewire of different-sized meshes or degrees of fineness, the upper section A being of finer meshes than the next one A and the last or lowermost one A being the coarsest and sufiiciently large to admit the largest-sized lumps to pass through its interstices. Below this cylindrical sieve is constructed a series of inclined bottomed chutes O, alike in every respect, one being situated under each section of the sieve A. The sides and front ends of these chutes are made vertical, and segmental scallops or spaces are formed in the sides to admit the periphery of the sieve coming within a short distance of the rear portion of the inclined bottoms of the same, which inclined rear portions of the bottoms consist of metallic plates 0, equal in extent to the diameter of the cylinder, while the remaining forward portions consist of corrugated plates 0 arranged with the apex of their corrugations on a line with the platesO' and terminating immediately below the end piece of the chute O, the lower portions of the corrugations being cut off at obtuse and acute angles, respectively, with their lower and upper parts at the point where they terminate in front, so as to form right-angled triangle-shaped openings C between them, and curved plates D, which are secured to the forward ends of the chutes and extend backward under them at an inclination of twenty-five degrees with the corrugated bottoms of the chutes, through which openings D the dirt and refuse matter are allowed to pass and be discharged over the curved plates D. Small slits D are also formed in the lower parts of the corrugations to admit the passage of any thin pieces of slate that may be contained in the coal through them.

Immediately above the triangular openings G are suspended on a horizontal shaft E, below the front end piece of the chute C, a single or a series of metallic tappets E, placed parallel with each other and the required distance apart to prevent coal passing between them, and having secured near their lower ends a series of rods F, extending outward from their front surfaces at right angles thereto, which rods are inserted through openings in the centers of spherical or other formed weights G. These weights are capable of being moved on the rods F nearer to or farther from the tappets E, so as to regulate the resistance they exert to the passage of the coal under them.

In continuation of the corrugated bottoms of the chutes C and in front of the same are arranged a series of other inclined chutes H, which, like the other parts described over which the coal passes, are made of metal or other suitable material, being turned up slightly at their sides to prevent the-escape of the coal over the same, and provided with a narrow slot I across the same midway between its front and back ends, from which slot I extends an inclined chute K, of a precisely-similar character, running backward under the rear part of the chute H at an angle of about twenty-five degrees (more or less) with the bottom of the same in such a manner as to conduct any dirt or refuse stuff that may have passed with the coal over the triangular openings D and-slits D under the tappetskEfi'and over the turned-up edge at the top of thechute H, and discharge the same into anyconvenientreceptacle L, into which is als'o conveyed the dirt and other extraneousmatter passing over-the curved plates-D. A short distance above the inclined sieve-cylinder A is arranged awater-reservoir Y lvL' from the bottom of which extends a series of vertical pipes N, one for each chute 0, provided-with cocks O neartheir upper ends, a'n'd attach'ed at their lower ends to the centers-of horizontal pipes P, arranged at rightangles to the same immediately over the lower parts of tliecorrugated bottoms ofthe chutes and also at right angles-to them. zontal pipes P are perforated with round or otherrformed openings on the lower parts oftheir periphery, the area of the whole oftheperforations-being much less than the bore of the pipe N,so-as to giveforce to the-Water i discharging therefrom in such-a manner as to 'causethe'water thus escaping to beejected in jets, forced-at acute right and obtuse angleswith the bottoms of the chutes C, over which the coal passes, so as to enable these j ets'ofwater to strike the under, upper, and, in fact, all parts of the coal as it passes under thesame in its descent.

The operation is as follows: The coal to be washed is conveyed, through ahopper or other I convenient means, into the upper end of the sieve-cylinder A, to which a revolving motion is previously given by any convenient power. This will cause the coal to graduallydescend in the-sieve-cylinder and the lumps ofcoal of less size than the respective interstices in the portions-A A A to pass through the same-audto descend onto the bottoms G of the upper parts of thechutes O and over the inclined surfaces of'the same and the corru gated bottoms O of the said chutes 0 next in continuation. As it passes over these latter it is subjected to the action of the jets of water from the horizontal pipe P, as before stated, .which cleanses it of nearly, if not quite all, of its dirt and other extraneous matter, which, after its separation, passes down in the bottoms of the corrugations under The hori-- the coal and off through the triangular openings C and slits D at the lower end of the same into the reservoir L below, from which it can be conducted to any desired point. During this washing process the coal is temporarily detained in its descent or caused to slightly accumulate by thetappets E, whose resistance to its progress is regulated by the weights G, and after this the coal passes ofi over the edge of the turned-up end of vthe chute H and under the tappets E, and in its descent over the lower chute H passes over the transverse slot I in the same, through which any refuse stuff that may still remain in the coal will pass and be conducted into the common reservoir L, from which it may be conducted,as before stated, and again suba view of extracting any valuable matter that it may contain.

corrugations in the-bottom- C of the'chut-e G Zwill be caused to descend into the corrugations with their edges resting on the angular these thin pieces-of slate reach the slits D they will, from being on edge, be caused to {freely pass through the same. In this simple other refuse matter from the-coal is effected; the latter being discharged from the machine {in a perfectly washed and cleaned state, and its movement from the time of its entrance to its exit from the machine being automatic. XVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1 1. Forminga seriesof slits D at thelower ends of the corrugations C next the triannaticallythrough them, substantially as described.

2. The'combination and arrangement of a tappet or tappets E with and in the relation to thecorrugated bottoms O of the chutes 0 lower end in the relation to the corrugated'boe toms of the chutes described, said perforations being formed on the lower portion of its periphery, as stated, for subjecting the coal to a thorough washing inits descent, as herein set forth.

JOSEPH P. EVANS.

Witnesses:

B. L. GRIFFITH, THOMAS EVANS.

jected to a further operation, if desired, with During the descent of the coal over thethe thin-pieces of; slate mixed with the-same bottoms of the said corrugations, and when manner a complete separation of thedirt and gular openings 0 so as to enable the thin" pieces of slate to-discharge themselves autoand the slits D and triangular openings 0 at the lower endsof-the same, over which and right-angled perforated pipe P at its 

